ANZAC Day

Adjourned debate on motion of Hon. L.A. Henderson:

That this council—

1. Recognises that ANZAC Day was commemorated on Thursday 25 April 2024;

2. Pays its respects to the families of those ANZACs who tragically lost their lives during the capture of the Gallipoli Peninsula;

3. Shows its gratitude to all Australian personnel who have served in defence of their country; and

4. Remembers all Australians who have been injured or killed while serving.

(Continued from 1 May 2024.)

The Hon. H.M. GIROLAMO (17:03): I will move an amendment to this motion, but, first, I thank the Hon. Laura Henderson for bringing this motion to the parliament to acknowledge the importance of ANZAC Day. ANZAC Day is one of Australia's most important national occasions, and marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during World War I. The 25^th of April officially was named ANZAC Day in 1916. I move the amendment standing in my name, as follows:

Leave out all words after 'during the' and insert 'Gallipoli campaign'.

This ensures the wording is correct in this excellent and very important motion, to ensure that everyone, not just from World War I but all wars, are acknowledged for their service to our country. It is a huge honour as a member to go along to ANZAC Day services on 25 April to ensure we continue remembering those who served our country and those who continue to serve our country right across this nation.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (17:04): I commend the honourable member on her motion, recognising the importance of commemorating ANZAC Day but also the many Australians who served in the defence of their country. I indicate that I will be supporting the Hon. Heidi Girolamo's amendment.

I will not go much into the history of ANZAC Day and what it means to all Australians. We are quite familiar with the story, as it evolved from that fateful dawn landing on the shores of Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, until the ANZAC forces withdrew under the cover of darkness nine months later, without gaining any ground but with enormous casualties.

In military terms it was a disaster, orchestrated by the British Army. It is often asked: why do we commemorate such an ignominious defeat? Perhaps part of the answer lies in the spiritual and symbolic sacrifice of tens of thousands of young men in the prime of their lives, who enlisted as volunteers to fight for freedom in lands totally foreign to them, and the naivety of the equally confusing politics which started the conflict.

Many of those ANZACs went on to fight in the most horrific theatres of war on the Western Front, leaving so many who managed to survive psychologically and medically scarred for the rest of their lives. The condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder was not fully understood in those days. It was simply put as shell shock, and there was little or no support for them on their return after it ended in 1919. They say the exuberant and brave spirit of those Australian and New Zealand soldiers helped forge the nation and the freedoms this lucky country and our neighbours across the ditch enjoy today.

Heroism and glory aside, war can also bring out the worst in humanity. We are seeing that today on the same soil where the ANZACs once walked, yet there is a blot on the history of the ANZACs rarely mentioned, but it was raised recently by Palestinians. I will mention it here, not in disrespect of the ANZACs and ANZAC Day but to acknowledge it did occur—a shameful, isolated chapter that has been largely forgotten.

That was the massacre of between 40 and 137 male villagers in the Bedouin camp of Sarafand al-Amar on 10 December 1918 by Australian, New Zealand and Scottish troops, avenging the murder of a New Zealand trooper by a thief believed to have come from the camp and born out of frustration that the British failed to act on petty crime and murders that had been committed—not an excuse as, by today's standards, it constituted a war crime. No-one was charged for the massacre but reparations were paid for the damage caused to the camp.

On a more contemporary note, the diggers of both world wars would turn in their graves today at the sorry state of our Defence Force. If a conflict erupted today, Australia could not defend itself and would need to rely on allies, like the United States and the UK, to come to our aid. Apart from a few bombing sorties on Darwin, and a foiled mini-sub attack in Sydney Harbour by the Japanese during World War II, Australia has not yet been invaded or attacked by hostile forces.

We do not have enough boots on the ground to repel a large army. We do not have enough sailors to crew the few warships in service. Our Collins class submarines are either in dock getting repairs or incapable of repelling much superior vessels. We do not yet have the required skilled personnel to build the new age nuclear submarines we desperately need right now, not in a decade. We have not even seen a prototype of the reduced number of Hunter class frigates being designed in the UK by BAE. Australia does not even have a single killer drone. Our Air Force lacks potent firepower. We do not have any ballistic missile sites.

In short, Australia is the biggest sitting duck in the ASEAN region, and it is embarrassing at a time when our Premier was over in the United States trying to convince the Americans that we can build their super-duper nuke subs here when he knows deep down that we cannot fill the jobs that are required locally and that he needs to pitch the jobs push to other states.

This is why I have been calling for the return of national service to bolster our Defence Force, to make it compulsory for our young men and women on turning 18 years of age to do at least one year of service in our Defence Force. It happens in many countries across the world, including in Europe, South America and Asia. The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has flagged it too as an election commitment, saying it is needed for them to not only be ready to defend their shores in these dangerous and uncertain times but also to give them valuable skills and make their country more secure and build a stronger national culture.

Sadly, our youth need toughening up to meet these challenges. We have bred a very soft and entitled generation. But what do our Prime Minister and defence minister, Richard Marles, do? Their new policy of recruiting defence personnel is to get them from overseas countries. It is an outrage and scandalous. In effect, they will be recruiting an army of mercenaries from countries like the US, Canada and New Zealand, and from the Pacific. Who would not want to come and live in Australia with all the generous benefits it brings? But will they have any nationalistic pride? How long will they be required to serve, or will they drop out like we have seen with police recruiting? How many do they intend to bring in and how does that conflict with the government's migration policy, which they say they are now reducing in numbers? Where will they be housed? We cannot build enough houses now for existing families.

This is just a disgraceful, poorly planned policy by a gutless government that is not brave enough to go down the path of national service because they are in fear of an electoral backlash. They need to show some nerves of steel and put the defence of this country and its citizens first, like Rishi Sunak is doing, not waiting until the first shots in anger are directed at us.

The Australian put it into perspective with its post-budget headline, 'All talk and no action on our defence'. The Albanese government will not be able to improve our military capabilities for at least a decade and, as former foreign minister Alexander Downer described it, in an era more dangerous than the tensest period of the Cold War.

In the meantime, we have seen passive aggressive Chinese petulance aimed at our Navy and defence helicopters, putting the lives of servicemen in danger, yet Albo, Richard Marles and Penny Wong's reactions were weak, labelling them unprofessional. Unprofessional? Seriously! These situations call for much sterner, forceful language from our unprofessional government. We know why they are so pitiful. They are trying to curry favour with an increasingly aggressive Chinese regime that continues to threaten stability in our region, particularly around democratic Taiwan, and that does not like the AUKUS deal one bit.

The honourable member's final clause of her motion remembers all Australians who have been injured or killed while serving. It should go further and remember those who died after the war because of their injuries, and there were tens of thousands.

That brings me to the exceptional work of The Headstone Project, a voluntary project dedicated to locating and ensuring that all World War I veterans who served overseas have their final resting place suitably marked with headstones. Since 2017, the headstone volunteers have identified, through detailed research, more than 100 graves dotted around the state's cemeteries that were unmarked for various reasons, including that families could not afford to pay for funerals because of tough economic times.

The Headstone Project has uncovered some amazing stories, but they are reliant on government support for this important work. It was extremely disappointing to learn this week that the veterans affairs minister, Joe Szakacs, told the project they were unlikely to get the funding they are seeking to identify around 50 graves each year over the next four years. It costs about $1,500 per grave, which includes a headstone and a plaque. We are talking about a paltry $75,000 a year, yet the government can find millions of dollars for their pet bread and circuses projects.

In a further blow, the federal Albanese government recently rejected their application for charity status, yet the federal veterans affairs minister approved charity status to a controversial pro-Palestinian Muslim organisation. It would only take a stroke of a pen by the minister to give The Headstone Project deductible gift recipient status so they could then seek donations from corporations and the public. I will be urging the federal minister to overturn that unfair decision, and I am looking forward to attending The Headstone Project's dedication of 16 graves in the Riverland later this month. I commend the motion.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (17:16): I rise to speak in support of this motion. In doing so, I would like to acknowledge the Hon. Laura Henderson for bringing this motion to the chamber, and I want to place on the record my support for the Hon. Heidi Girolamo's amendment to this motion.

Again, I rise to speak in support of this motion, not because I am a legatee with a husband who served in the Royal Australian Navy but because, like so many other people in South Australia, I recognise that the sacrifice and hardship suffered by many before us is what underpins our free and democratic way of life today.

ANZAC Day was first celebrated on 25 April 1916 in honour of those who lost their lives in the Gallipoli campaign. Since those days, attendance at ANZAC events has ebbed and flowed. However, it is heartening that in current times, events such as the dawn service are attended by people of all ages willing to leave a warm bed in the early hours of the morning in cold and damp weather to pay their respects. It is wonderful to see parents bringing their children to teach them the importance of the event, not to glorify war but to offer thanks to those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy peace.

This year, as in many before, I attended the local dawn service in the town of Barmera. It did take a bit of special effort to get there this year, as I was in Mount Gambier the evening before. However, like so many others across the state, I recognise the significance of the day, and it really brings other things like the minor inconvenience of travel into perspective. The horrors of trench warfare at Gallipoli must have been unimaginable. The tradition of the gunfire breakfast that is still part of ANZAC Day today, where rum is added to the first coffee or cup of tea of the day, was how so many young soldiers coped with the fear of facing the enemy.

Attendance at a regional dawn service is very affirming. Often, you arrive in the dark, and the sight of people invisibly shuffling into place only gives a vague indication of the numbers present. Once the service is finished, you look around as the early morning light reveals the large numbers of locals who have come to pay their respects, nodding to each other in recognition. It is a wonderful gathering of the community and a testament to the significance of the day.

The modern iteration of ANZAC extends well beyond the Gallipoli conflict to honour all those who have served in more recent campaigns. Their commitment and courage in serving our country is recognised in current times, and veterans of Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other campaigns receive our thanks and respect as part of the annual ANZAC Day events.

As the old saying goes, those who do not know their history are destined to repeat it. It is an unfortunate fact of life that conflicts have been a part of our history and we should recognise the courage of those who have and who continue to defend our enviable way of life. The observance of ANZAC Day is a memorial to those who answered the call and to those who continue to do so in the present day. I commend the motion to the chamber.

The Hon. S.L. GAME (17:20): I rise briefly in support of the honourable member's motion commemorating ANZAC Day. ANZAC Day is a very important day in the Australian calendar. We commemorate this special day as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our brave Australian service men and women who fought in defence of our country. We pay our respects to the families of the ANZACs who tragically lost their lives during the capture of the Gallipoli Peninsula. We acknowledge the grief and sorrow that they have endured and we honour the memories of those who have been taken from us.

We take this opportunity on ANZAC Day to show our gratitude to all Australian personnel who have served in defence of our freedom. From the earliest days of our nation's history to the present day, countless Australians have put their lives on the line to protect our way of life. We acknowledge their bravery, their selflessness and their unwavering commitment to our nation's values and remember all Australians who have been injured or killed while serving.

Their sacrifices are not forgotten and we honour their memories by continuing to uphold the values of courage, sacrifice and service that they have embodied. On ANZAC Day, we come together to pay tribute to the spirit of those who have fought for us, the hardships they have endured and the sacrifices they have made. We pledge to continue to support and care for those who have served and continue to serve.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (17:21): I rise to support this motion, which calls on the council to acknowledge ANZAC Day, to pay its respects to the families of those ANZACs who have tragically lost their lives during the capture of the Gallipoli Peninsula, to show its gratitude to all Australian personnel who have served in defence of their country, and to remember all Australians who have been injured, killed or otherwise suffered whilst serving or, indeed, afterwards.

I am confident all members of this chamber would agree that ANZAC Day is one of the most important annual occasions for our nation. It provides an opportunity for all Australians to honour and pay tribute to the courage, sacrifice and unwavering spirit of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, who served their countries with valour and dedication during times of horrific events, especially during the First World War.

It is a sobering day on which we are reminded of the immense cost of the freedoms we are fortunate to have in Australia and the importance of protecting the values upon which our nation was founded. As we are all aware, ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the ANZAC troops landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. The aim of this military campaign was to secure the Dardanelles Strait, which would have opened a new front against the central powers. However, the operation faced intense opposition from the Turkish forces that resulted in heavy casualties, with the campaign ultimately failing to achieve its objectives.

Nevertheless, the ANZACs demonstrated remarkable bravery and resolve amidst adversity as they fearlessly confronted immense challenges in an unfamiliar land. The events at Gallipoli encapsulate the tremendous spirit of the ANZACs: their courage, their endurance, their ingenuity, and mateship as it has come to be known, which still defines our national identity.

Members may not be aware that in 2008 I had the privilege of being part of a joint parliamentary delegation to Turkey and to the Anzac Cove peninsula. The delegation included the former Minister for Veterans' Affairs at the time, the Hon. Michael Atkinson, the member for Croydon. We had the opportunity to attend the dawn service at Anzac Cove whilst we were there—in fact, it was the main reason we were there.

I will never forget the early morning being so touching and memorable but also so freezing cold, something that is often not spoken about. In fact, it was so cold that Mick, as we called him (Michael, the member for Croydon), was kind enough to lend me his coat. I certainly needed it because I had fronted up in a light suit with a shirt and cotton socks on—quite silly—and I think at the time it would have been certainly in the minuses. I am not sure exactly what the temperature was but it was cold, I can assure you, and he was very kind to lend me a coat. I do not know who travels with a spare coat, and who actually carries it with them, but he did and he happened to have it with him that day, so I am very grateful for that.

We were joined by some 10,000 other individuals, mostly from Australia and New Zealand of course, and it was an incredibly moving experience that I will never forget. One could truly appreciate the significance of what occurred at that place over a century ago, and it is certainly something that I will never forget. In fact, when you are there you become very conscious of exactly how tall these cliffs are. You often hear about the cliffs and the tremendous challenges facing any attempted landing on that beach, and it becomes very apparent when you are there and when you can see it.

It is important to acknowledge that ANZAC Day is not just about remembering those who fought and fell at Gallipoli. It is also to pay tribute to all Australians who have served, and continue to serve, in our Defence Force. It is a particularly significant day for my family, given that my father was in the Australian Army for just over two decades, and served in Vietnam in 1968, seeing active combat during the infamous Battle of Coral, as well as a number of other times. He was awarded citations for gallantry and other actions, and for other battles that he fought in as well.

I am grateful he returned home physically unharmed, but of course many others had a different experience, including very close friends of my father. It is therefore only fitting that we, through this motion, pay homage to all Australians who lost their lives or were wounded during their time of service or, indeed, have suffered since they have returned home. I certainly support the motion.

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (17:26): I also thank the honourable member for bringing this motion to the chamber. ANZAC Day is an occasion of reflection and remembrance for those Australians and New Zealanders who have served, who have fought and who have not come home. Obviously, as has been highlighted, it started with the remembrance of Gallipoli, but is now in place to remember those who continue to represent our nation, both in New Zealand and Australia. It is a shared responsibility for our whole community to remember them, and to honour their sacrifices, as well as the sacrifices made by their families. We must also continue to recognise the importance of passing on this responsibility to the next generation, and the next.

I would imagine that many members in this chamber across the political divide have someone in their family whose service gives them a sense of personal connection to ANZAC Day—as we have just heard from the Hon. Dennis Hood—whether it is someone who has served in the past or more recently. For me, such person is my late grandfather, Colin Herbert Stace, who served during World War II. After completing his initial posting on Australian soil, by the time his unit made landing in Borneo, he was a lieutenant. My grandfather almost never talked about his experiences there, finding the subject very painful to discuss with his family.

What I do know of his experience during the Borneo campaign, and it may not be a surprise to many in this chamber, are the sacrifices he made and of being diagnosed later in his life with PTSD. Not until he was 58 was this recognised. It was a mental health illness where he was unable to get that support, but he pushed through working. At 58, he decided he could no longer push through those barriers and, thankfully, the Department of Veterans' Affairs was able to acknowledge the extreme service that was made during his time in Borneo and he was given the veteran service pension, so he could go on to support his family.

Rather than this traumatic experience being the focus of today's speech, I will focus on his enduring positive impact, his lifelong relationships with his former fellow service colleagues. Among many who, like my grandfather, were fortunate enough to come home, the friendships forged amid the gruelling experiences they endured remained fundamentally important to them for the rest of their lives. Just about any soldier will tell you that when you are in combat you do not just fight for your country, you fight for your unit and you fight for your mates. You fight to keep yourself and each other alive and safe, so that you can come home to your family.

My grandfather held dear a particular group of five or six fellows who returned with him and who remained close. While not wanting to keep the memories of war alive, keeping their mateship alive was paramount. Religiously, every month they would all come together at their homes, taking hosting in turns. They gathered to talk, to share a drink and to remember. This ritual persisted until the last ones remaining were too frail to continue.

War has countless devastating impacts on the lives of soldiers and veterans. A silver lining for my grandfather was that these enduring friendships he maintained were a significant support and comfort for him. Every ANZAC Day, we should take the opportunity to reflect on the value of such friendships. Finding a place to be among people with whom you can share common experiences is so important. That is one of the reasons that the local RSLs are so valuable to our veterans and to our broader community.

One club in particular, which is home to a wonderful community of people and with which I feel fortunate to share a friendship—as I know the President does too—is the Payneham RSL, where president and secretary, Mark and Liam, do an excellent job in keeping their community strong and thriving. Established in 1938, the Payneham RSL is a volunteer-run organisation whose mission is to support veterans and local community.

Serving a diverse demographic that includes veterans and ex-service personnel, active service personnel, war widows' groups, community clubs, local small businesses, community members and their families, there is a caring and dedicated group of volunteers that make the Payneham RSL a great place to be and a great place to belong.

I began attending the dawn services and other events at the Payneham RSL a number of years ago. I am always delighted to see how many people come together to enjoy these wonderful services and great events, where they serve hundreds of meals to the community. The volunteers within the Payneham RSL community ensure that the club is always a welcoming place to gather and share stories.

Quality facilities are important to the club. There are five local community groups and organisations that also utilise this facility. The recently improved outdoor area is used regularly by local families and for children's birthday parties, bringing new people into their club space. For these reasons especially, in maintaining and improving the hall and its outdoor facilities it is important that we keep these facilities up to date.

Earlier this year, I was pleased to work with the Malinauskas government and the now member for Dunstan to help deliver funding to support a much-needed upgrade of their outdated women's restroom facilities. This will improve accessibility, especially for women of all ages who attend events and participate in activities in and around the Payneham RSL.

On ANZAC Day this year, it was great to see such a strong attendance again at the Payneham dawn service. Over the past several years, I have witnessed the typical attendance numbers in the hundreds fall to much smaller crowds due to COVID. It was a true delight to see this year those crowds recover. From the cadets, to the school students, to the brass band, coming together to celebrate those who have served, those who did not come home, those who serve today and the families who have loved them is always something we are privileged to do.

ANZAC Day means many things to many people. Each person who holds the occasion sacred has their own personal relationship with the day, whether they are reflecting on their own service or the experience of knowing and loving someone who has served, or indeed whether they are a member of the community who is simply grateful for the sacrifices and services of those who have dedicated themselves to protecting and advancing our interests.

What brings us all together and connects us is to remember the sacrifices they have made, and we must continue to do this. Through the supreme trials of victory or defeat, men and women from around our nation have served and fought, and have sacrificed their lives or have survived against all the odds. Some, like my grandfather, gave the best years of their lives to the battlefield and came home forever changed. They have done all of this and more in a way that deserves our gratitude and our mindful reflection for as long as we can endure as a nation. That is why on ANZAC Day we will always gather to remember them. Lest we forget.

The Hon. L.A. HENDERSON (17:34): I would like to thank honourable members for their contributions and their support. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the Hon. Heidi Girolamo, the Hon. Frank Pangallo, the Hon. Nicola Centofanti, the Hon. Sarah Game, the Hon. Dennis Hood and the Hon. Emily Bourke for their contributions today in acknowledging the sacrifices and the bravery of our current and former service men and women.

We should never take for granted the sacrifices made by our current and former service men and women. Today, we acknowledge their sacrifice and their bravery. If I could please just share a quote from Winston Churchill in concluding my remarks that I think personifies this sentiment:

Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.

With that, I conclude my remarks.

Amendment carried; motion as amended carried.